The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-03-10
STICKS TO HIS BOAT.
An Old Hcrmit's Fondness for n Time.
Eaten Hulk.

Eaten Hulk.
There Is mysterious fascination il
the condition of an individual living
apart from his fellow-beings, says The
Cincinnati Enquirer. The motive.
which lead certain temperaments to
seek secusion from their kind are var.
ious. In the case of Captain Stephen
Price 1t was not SO much motive as an
unfolding combination Of circumstan-
ces that forced upon him the hcrmits
lot. Thirteen years ago the jewellers
upon the bank of the Miami and Erie
canal near Hamilton, Ohio, found them
selves in possession of new neighbor
in the shape of the craft Willie, which.
it subsequently proved, had 'come to
stay"
Stephen Price. its owner, was born
Of Scotch-lrish parentagc in Millcrcek
township, Hamilton county, in 1872.
What little schooling he received was
in that county, but his parents ben
poor he had to start out to earn his own
living ut very early age. After chop
ping wood and working in the neigh
borhood until about 1929, he started
boating in 1871 on the Miami and Erie
canal. making his run from Cincinnati
to Toledo, from there to Lafayette and
back. He saved enough OF his earnings
to purchase boat. and soon replaced
It with newer and better one. From
The time he became the owner of Il
craft he assumed the position OF cap
tain. In 1916 he was married ut Gin
,nnati to Miss Prone, who has been
dead some thirty years. The last boat
be owned was the Willie, of St. Bernard.
This boat he ran until, as he says.
ais eyesight became SO poor that he
could not see at nighttime to take his
oosit on at the helm. and so in 1874.
having some $3.50. he tied her up on
the BERNIE bank in Fairfield township,
BY economy and doing his own house
Keeping he was enabled to live comfort
ably and contented for several years in
The aft cabin of his boat. HIS money
finally gave out, but he was too proud
20 beg or to seek relief at the hands OF
The public, and so he commenced to tear
)ut the sound planking and timbers of
bis boat, and these he sold from tim @
70 time and with the proceeds procur-
sd bread.
Finally the old boat was stripped OF
I'll its salable timbcrs, and then kind
aeighbors would send him over sup.
olies. Time and again he was solicited
20 go up to the inlirmary, where he
would be warm and comfortable, but
ne so loved his old boat, or so much as
was left of it, that he preferred the
lardships and privations of the cold
winter in his uncomfortable quarters to
eaving the dear old hulk. For long
time he kept warm and did his cooking
from wood chopped from the boat
until finally nothing was left but the
bare shell or the rear cabin. Then he
would walk n mile or so to Il mill and
carry home corn-ccbs which were given
him. How the poor old man even
lived through the cold nights of the past
winter, when the thermometer regis
.ered on several days and nghts, som c
six degrees below zero is Il my stery.
He had but scanty clothing and no
underwear, while an old ragged
.hreadbare blanket and still more
worn coverlid constituted his entire
oed-coverng When asked if he kept
ais fire up all night he replied that he
could not, for the reason lac could moi
carry cobs enough in the day to burn
all night. He said it was pretty cold,
and many morning when he awoke
The interior of tho cabin was white and
testooned with white frost. He read
a great deal. and in this way passed
his time, and when not reading in re-
calling and living over the past. One
cold afternoon he was finally induced tc
go up to the iniirmary, which stands
within half mile of his boat, and il
full view. He was admitted at
o'clock, and when the supper bell wa'
rung he was missing. In the morning
he was found back in the little old cab
in. as happy rs any prince in palace.
Finally it grew so cold that he was 4
second time induced to 60 up on thu
hill. when. after bath, and dressed
comfortably in new and warm clothing
and refreshed by a hot supper, he con
cluded to remain, provided he was per
mitted to revisit his old home. as h,
called the relic. He makes pilgrima
ges to the boat about every two Of
three days, It was decided at one
time TO burn the cabin, but as 1t APP
pears the one link connecting the ole
man with the past. it was feared thu
result might hasten his death, so 1t ha'
,een allowed to stand.
Grow More Fruit.